It's warm, it's heart breaking, it makes you angry, and as a single parent who experienced a similar situation many years ago now......... this should be mandatory for ALL separating/separated parents who are arguing custody for their children!!!!! People often forget that it's about children and what's best for them!!! Not how they feel for &/or about each other!!!!! CHEERS!!!!! X
18 Reviews
... TV-mini-series at its finest
bjarias4 August 2021
... an absolutely-wonderful three-part-series ... from start to finish there's nothing else will occupy your thoughts except the lives of all these well-written beautifully-acted-characters
... it's-just-terrific ... even knowing the ending when watching again it is still as strong a production ... to always remain one of the best of its genre.
... it's-just-terrific ... even knowing the ending when watching again it is still as strong a production ... to always remain one of the best of its genre.
Great series
gssteed6 October 2018
I want you back
Prismark1012 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Christopher Eccleston plays Greg whose wife Marie walks out on him after 19 years of marriage. He has no idea why she tipped over the edge but ends up looking after their three kids as well as go to work and earn a living.
Greg still loves his wife and cannot understand why she left. Eventually Greg forms a relationship with Brenna who has fled her abusive husband. Brenna who has a son is brassy, in your face and rather vulgar. Greg's oldest son does not take to her. Her husband's violence behaviour puts Greg and Marie's children at risk.
Marie enters a custody battle for her youngest kids. The court case reveals truth of both people's behaviour, it is a battle where both of them could be losers.
Eccleston has a nice stab at an Ulster accent. The drama initially portrays Marie as a bad woman, someone who abandons her kids so she could be a teenager again, drink, party and date other men.
However nicely acted it was, the whole thing came across as rather a beige family melodrama. The wife who felt she was frustrated and hemmed in. The husband who thought he did nothing wrong. There were some jolts here and there but nothing that raised it out of the ordinary.
Greg still loves his wife and cannot understand why she left. Eventually Greg forms a relationship with Brenna who has fled her abusive husband. Brenna who has a son is brassy, in your face and rather vulgar. Greg's oldest son does not take to her. Her husband's violence behaviour puts Greg and Marie's children at risk.
Marie enters a custody battle for her youngest kids. The court case reveals truth of both people's behaviour, it is a battle where both of them could be losers.
Eccleston has a nice stab at an Ulster accent. The drama initially portrays Marie as a bad woman, someone who abandons her kids so she could be a teenager again, drink, party and date other men.
However nicely acted it was, the whole thing came across as rather a beige family melodrama. The wife who felt she was frustrated and hemmed in. The husband who thought he did nothing wrong. There were some jolts here and there but nothing that raised it out of the ordinary.
Irish accent.
Neeliesu11 April 2018
So far after 2 episodes I like this drama. Like a previous post I wondered why the Irish accent? It didn't detract from the drama for me but I do understand, because if I watch something where it's meant to be in Newcastle I'm aware that the Geordie accent is bad. Overall though it wouldn't make me score 1 if the drama itself was good, and I think this one is. Christopher Eccleston is a very good actor.
Painfully Average, but watchable
asneyd13 January 2019
I love a good drama, this one didn't quite cut the cheese so to speak. I'm glad they didn't drag this out to a 6 part series, 3 parts were ample to tell the story. The acting was great, however the storyline was predictable and at times a little far fetched. If you can get past the first episode, keep watching as the storyline picks up and the show becomes tolerable. Not a hit, but certainly an average watch.
Classy drama
mandmgould11 April 2018
Great performances all round, but particularly from Paula Malcomson (she was amazing in Broken as well!) and Christopher Ecclestone. What amazes me though is how this intelligent and thought provoking drama can be hovering around 6.8 rating whereas Marcella (8 hours of my life I will never get back...) can be around 7.4 More of the same please BBC!
Great drama
dannypetticrew4 April 2018
One of the 'REALEST' series I've seen in a while
lilven13 April 2018
There is so much happening in this small peek that we see for this family. There are some truly terrible decisions that are made by both parents, even though they perceived it as beneficial to the family. It is interesting seeing the perspective from each (his in the first episode, hers in the second) before it is combined a little more truthfully in the third. Honestly, I was caught off guard by some of the truths that came out, and was holding my breath to find out how it played out. It wasn't always easy to watch, life often isn't, but man was it realistic.
This was well written and compelling. I wanted to know more and how both main characters got to were they where. That said, the acting was phenomenal. There was a strong cast from the children who were wonderful to the main cast. Christopher Eccleston, Paula Malcomson, and Kerri Quinn took turns breaking my heart and making me angry, to giving me faith back in people. I realize that the topic of accents is an issue for many native Irish speakers, but as a non-Irish person the accents did not distract me.
Overall, I highly recommend this series. It's not light but it is satisfying.
This was well written and compelling. I wanted to know more and how both main characters got to were they where. That said, the acting was phenomenal. There was a strong cast from the children who were wonderful to the main cast. Christopher Eccleston, Paula Malcomson, and Kerri Quinn took turns breaking my heart and making me angry, to giving me faith back in people. I realize that the topic of accents is an issue for many native Irish speakers, but as a non-Irish person the accents did not distract me.
Overall, I highly recommend this series. It's not light but it is satisfying.
Utter Rubbish "May Marar and farrar" lol
dilsonbelper10 April 2018
"May Marar and farrar" English actorrrrs thinking they can master the The Belfast accent please, is the no decent Norn Iorish actors who could have done this show? Eccleston,..... I'm an ACtorrrrr ....once again bluffs his way through another.
Eccleston A tour de force in acting
glenn-whitelaw23 April 2018
Amazing but sad 3 part drama about the break up of a relationship. Both leads Eccleston and Hamilton along with the supporting actors portray a family in crisis. First class. Ignore that 1 out of 10 review he does this a lot though gave a cancelled show 10 out of 10. Plus only Eccleston is English in the cast.
Simple done right...
spikeypoet23 June 2023
This, right here is how you know that you have great actors in front of you; I've been taken on a rollercoaster of emotions... many of which I've felt frequently. Some I've only felt a couple of times.
The pain of wanting something to work with an unwilling participant.
What happened here is a sign of the times: women miss their freedom and will make hasty, wreckless decisions to taste that freedom, even if it means regretting that decision later on.
Goddamn, this is sad!
You're placed right there with them as they deal with the ramifications of an incredibly self-absorbed relatives shortsighted, self-gratifying, impulsive decision, that causes so much hurt and pain.
You feel every ounce of that weight.
Then you observe what happens when sadness, need and desperation enable a wolf to be let into a civilised, albeit broken family unit.
Desperation doesn't yield anything worthwhile, ever!
Marie is a colossal mess. Greg is a spineless weakling. Sickening!!
I absolutely LOVE Paula Malcomson. I find her so sexy and pleasant. She's a very consistent actress.
Such a small, low-budget endeavour took a couple of masters of their craft to sell it cohesively. They did just that.
A tip of the hat to all involved in this powerful, low-budget family drama done to perfection.
Outstanding! 9-stars!
The pain of wanting something to work with an unwilling participant.
What happened here is a sign of the times: women miss their freedom and will make hasty, wreckless decisions to taste that freedom, even if it means regretting that decision later on.
Goddamn, this is sad!
You're placed right there with them as they deal with the ramifications of an incredibly self-absorbed relatives shortsighted, self-gratifying, impulsive decision, that causes so much hurt and pain.
You feel every ounce of that weight.
Then you observe what happens when sadness, need and desperation enable a wolf to be let into a civilised, albeit broken family unit.
Desperation doesn't yield anything worthwhile, ever!
Marie is a colossal mess. Greg is a spineless weakling. Sickening!!
I absolutely LOVE Paula Malcomson. I find her so sexy and pleasant. She's a very consistent actress.
Such a small, low-budget endeavour took a couple of masters of their craft to sell it cohesively. They did just that.
A tip of the hat to all involved in this powerful, low-budget family drama done to perfection.
Outstanding! 9-stars!
A fantastic BBC drama, with characters expertly written and acted
paulmcuomo15 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This BBC series finished on Tuesday the 10th of April, with an ending that was supremely brutal on the emotions, but also incredibly satisfying and also leaving me envious on the amazing way that writer Danny Brocklehurst manages to characterise the struggles of the Farrell family over this 3 episode mini-series.
The biggest praise I can give to this show is the way it portrays its various characters in shades of grey rather than the sadly constant black-and-white mundaneness that sadly common in BBC material which paints one side clearly as hero and the other as villain. In this, both Greg and Marie, portrayed respectively by an Irish accented Christopher Eccleston - which does take a moment to get use to but it's not a massive distraction - and Paula Malcomson, are portrayed as both being at fault for the downfall in this marriage, and whom their previous major faults are both portrayed as their faults, and not as justification.
In the case of Marie, it's revealed that she had an affair with a hairdresser called Billy, which resulted in the birth of their second child Lauren, whom Gregg always treats as a daughter and loves the same way and this destroys him. In the case of Gregg, he lied about having a vasectomy, which resulted in Molly, the third child and the catalyst to Marie's leaving.
Now, one of my biggest complaints about last year's BBC drama Trust Me (which by the way I stand by everything I said about that) is that it undermined its thriller element by making the consequences for everything that happened go in Cath's favour and it made the series impossible to like or even believe. In this, Brocklehurst displays these in a very grey manner - very respectful to the auidence's intelligence and values, and very commendable in terms of ability.
The kids are equally as skilled in conveying the story. In particular Anthony Boyle as Liam, the eldest child, and Lori Petticrew as the aforementioned Lauren, are good at conveying both the fragmented state of the family unit and the conflicts that come with the new status of their parents relationships. Liam is the one who goes through a big transformation, as he leaves both of his parents seemingly behind and starts to live alone. Lauren is the diligent, reasonable daughter trying to hold a relationship with both parents. Elsewhere in the cast is Kerri Quinn as Gregg's new girlfriend, reeling from a breakup with her violent ex-partner and who tries to make a mark in the Farrell household but causes unintended friction, who likewise isn't painted as a monster, but as a person and who is equally well acted. There's also Susan Ateh as Marie's new friend Lucy, who is unable to conceive and whom is betrayed by Marie's lies about her childlessness. Ateh isn't in a large amount of the story, but her breaking down of Marie's subsequent hedonistic behaviour really stood out as being high quality TV acting from someone who really makes this role standout.
In the brutal final moments of the series, Marie looks to Gregg after a nasty custody battle and offers some compromise. She tells him that in spite of the result, "We both lost". As viewers, I say we won, with an intelligently written, well structured and well produced show, with some amazing editing and music choices to boot, being our prize.
The biggest praise I can give to this show is the way it portrays its various characters in shades of grey rather than the sadly constant black-and-white mundaneness that sadly common in BBC material which paints one side clearly as hero and the other as villain. In this, both Greg and Marie, portrayed respectively by an Irish accented Christopher Eccleston - which does take a moment to get use to but it's not a massive distraction - and Paula Malcomson, are portrayed as both being at fault for the downfall in this marriage, and whom their previous major faults are both portrayed as their faults, and not as justification.
In the case of Marie, it's revealed that she had an affair with a hairdresser called Billy, which resulted in the birth of their second child Lauren, whom Gregg always treats as a daughter and loves the same way and this destroys him. In the case of Gregg, he lied about having a vasectomy, which resulted in Molly, the third child and the catalyst to Marie's leaving.
Now, one of my biggest complaints about last year's BBC drama Trust Me (which by the way I stand by everything I said about that) is that it undermined its thriller element by making the consequences for everything that happened go in Cath's favour and it made the series impossible to like or even believe. In this, Brocklehurst displays these in a very grey manner - very respectful to the auidence's intelligence and values, and very commendable in terms of ability.
The kids are equally as skilled in conveying the story. In particular Anthony Boyle as Liam, the eldest child, and Lori Petticrew as the aforementioned Lauren, are good at conveying both the fragmented state of the family unit and the conflicts that come with the new status of their parents relationships. Liam is the one who goes through a big transformation, as he leaves both of his parents seemingly behind and starts to live alone. Lauren is the diligent, reasonable daughter trying to hold a relationship with both parents. Elsewhere in the cast is Kerri Quinn as Gregg's new girlfriend, reeling from a breakup with her violent ex-partner and who tries to make a mark in the Farrell household but causes unintended friction, who likewise isn't painted as a monster, but as a person and who is equally well acted. There's also Susan Ateh as Marie's new friend Lucy, who is unable to conceive and whom is betrayed by Marie's lies about her childlessness. Ateh isn't in a large amount of the story, but her breaking down of Marie's subsequent hedonistic behaviour really stood out as being high quality TV acting from someone who really makes this role standout.
In the brutal final moments of the series, Marie looks to Gregg after a nasty custody battle and offers some compromise. She tells him that in spite of the result, "We both lost". As viewers, I say we won, with an intelligently written, well structured and well produced show, with some amazing editing and music choices to boot, being our prize.
I very very rarely rate 10/10
jwpicton1 July 2023
I can't speak highly enough of this series.
Several aspects drew me in and gripped my attention. I started to notice the how realistic the narrative was, how each event in a very human and relatable way, led to the next, and how relatable and conflicted each of the characters were. So often the heart triumphs over the head, and what's *right* or "best" is often as clear as mud, and in the end, we can never really know, exactly, what really is "best".
The characters portraied the multifaceted and often conflicted nature of people, specifically the parents, and how our perceptions of what's right and best are so often rooted in the norms and values of the society we grow and live in. And one aspect I particularly feel humans would do well to work on: How we so often equate how we feel about something or someone, with absolute fact and/or truth; when really, it's just how we feel, and does not necessarily have any bearing on the truth.
I particularly enjoyed how that inner conflict, and certainty of belief in what felt right and just, was brought out in the last episode and how the overall situation left so much for each of them, and us the viewers, to digest and make sense of.
In the end, there is often no way to make sense of it all; and acceptance of the flawed nature of the human condition, and the embracing of whatever we can scrape together and call "our truth", is perhaps only the "best" we can do.
Several aspects drew me in and gripped my attention. I started to notice the how realistic the narrative was, how each event in a very human and relatable way, led to the next, and how relatable and conflicted each of the characters were. So often the heart triumphs over the head, and what's *right* or "best" is often as clear as mud, and in the end, we can never really know, exactly, what really is "best".
The characters portraied the multifaceted and often conflicted nature of people, specifically the parents, and how our perceptions of what's right and best are so often rooted in the norms and values of the society we grow and live in. And one aspect I particularly feel humans would do well to work on: How we so often equate how we feel about something or someone, with absolute fact and/or truth; when really, it's just how we feel, and does not necessarily have any bearing on the truth.
I particularly enjoyed how that inner conflict, and certainty of belief in what felt right and just, was brought out in the last episode and how the overall situation left so much for each of them, and us the viewers, to digest and make sense of.
In the end, there is often no way to make sense of it all; and acceptance of the flawed nature of the human condition, and the embracing of whatever we can scrape together and call "our truth", is perhaps only the "best" we can do.
Brilliant watch
amypower-194931 July 2023
Christopher Eccleson did an outstanding job. I rated it one star less due to the ending, that may be biased but team Greg all the way! It was a bitter, real and emotionally intelligent film showing the realities of the situation for both. Absolutely heart wrenching and had you questioning the characters choices. Acting was simply fantastic, it was short but phenomenal. I feel most people would naturally side with Greg and I think it's ending was important and impactful on the injustices of the real world. It felt raw and real, making it utterly captivating, it was not a film seeking awards, just realism!
Outstanding drama
ruth445 July 2018
Come Home is an outstanding drama, beautifully performed by a very talented cast led by Christopher Eccleston, Paula Malcomson and Kerri Quinn. The story rang true and was both moving and mesmerizing. Should not be missed!
Best thing on Netflix at the moment.
timrestorationludlow6 September 2023
Excellent strong acting and sensitive emotional script writing about a real life subject that affects a lot of people but is rarely covered, namely the breakdown of a marriage and the ensuing fight over custody. It's both sad and poignant yet it somehow manages to strike a balance and avoids being too heavy at the same time. I sympathised with both the parents and the children too, probably because it avoids taking sides and portrays a family dynamics of a family breakdown realistically with likeable characters. I really enjoyed it from the outset and was hooked from the beginning, the best drama I've watched in a long time, quite surprised it hasn't attracted more attention.
Brilliant
StuDeb213 July 2023
Christopher Eccleston in my opinion is one of our finest actors. He is in very good company in this mini series as the acting from the rest of the cast is superb. The children are utterly brilliant as is Paula Malcomson. It is such a raw and tragic story of the collapse of a relationship and a marriage. It shows how things can escalate by making a few bad decisions. The brilliance here is it shows faults on both sides. It also shows the impact a break up has on the children really well. I binged watched it in one sitting. It stayed with me for days after. The BBC are really the best at mini dramas.
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